My HXDA and DG30 Do Enough Stuff. Why Do I Have My Mesa Amps?

Does the 4x10 give a fender deluxe/bandmaster sound, or are you getting better tones across the board? Kinda curious about the DG30 through 10s.
 
I guess the answer to why I have the Mesa amps still is to have something to sit on that 4 x 10 cab! Sounds great.

Mesas are (or at least, can be) wonderful: anyone would have to be a bit strange to get rid of one of their better efforts IMO. I'm lucky - I've got quite a few of their better efforts at my disposal, after nearly forty years of trying, buying, or passing, on everything by them that fell across my path.

I'm enjoying my MkIIC+ even more than my Akoya right now - its mid-gain is as close to Dumble territory as I care to get, i.e. not too close :)
 
Does the 4x10 give a fender deluxe/bandmaster sound, or are you getting better tones across the board? Kinda curious about the DG30 through 10s.
I haven't run the DG30 through the cab yet. I plan to in the next few days. I don't own an amp that sounds much like a Bandmaster or Black Panel Deluxe.

The Fillmore is based on a Tweed Bassman, and the Lone Star has more of a Black Panel topology. So they're not really comparable.

The only Bandmasters I'm very familiar with are the Blonde heads that had the matching 2x12 cabs with Jensens.

The Deluxes came with single 12" speakers, usually Jensens, and I know the Tweeds were Alnico; I think that's true of all the vintage Deluxe models, Black Panel, Tweed and Brown Panel. So I have no answers.
 
Mesas are (or at least, can be) wonderful: anyone would have to be a bit strange to get rid of one of their better efforts IMO. I'm lucky - I've got quite a few of their better efforts at my disposal, after nearly forty years of trying, buying, or passing, on everything by them that fell across my path.

I'm enjoying my MkIIC+ even more than my Akoya right now - its mid-gain is as close to Dumble territory as I care to get, i.e. not too close :)
I guess you can call me a bit strange, then! :)

Mesas I've had for long stretches in my studio, some for a decade:

Fillmore, Lone Star, Mark V, Maverick, Blue Angel, Tremoverb, Subway Rocket, Tri-Axis, Bass 400+, Stiletto, and I guess that's all I can remember. I've certainly tried everything they came out with in the '80s and '90s, and most of their recent stuff. I was never a Dual/Triple Recto guy, as I don't play heavy music, but session players have brought theirs in and I've tried them.

I've hung onto the Fillmore and Lone Star, and probably won't sell either one. Of the two, I prefer the Fillmore, but I do like the Lone Star.

I've had 6 Two-Rocks in the Dumble style: four versions of their Onyx series, and two of the Custom Reverb series. I played their amps exclusively from 2003-2014, and had a great relationship with Bill Krinard and Joe Mloganoski, who owned the company at the time. Great guys, and wonderful amp makers.

When I got the Two Rocks, I completely lost interest in all of the Mesas I had, and sold them, except that my son kept the Tremoverb, and the Stiletto was his from the start.

When Bill and Joe sold Two-Rock I was between amps, and figured I'd try something else. I decided to get the Mark V, DG30 and the HXDA. The HXDA and DG30 stayed, though I did like the vintage mode in Channel 1 of the Mark V, which was based on the Lone Star. My son was touring with a Lone Star, and I liked the way he sounded, so I bought one.

Over the years I've had vintage Fenders (they were new at the time I bought them!), Bad Cat, Bogner, Ampeg, the original Egnater, and a few other brands. All gone. If I'm not using an amp to make a buck, it's outta here. I can put the money into my studio in other ways.

One nice thing about the PRS amps is that my clients have universally loved the tone, and have made positive comments about the sound of the amps. They've been here for nearly 9 years, and were used on a ton of national ad campaigns. Phenomenal amps. Truly. And they've paid their way!
 
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I guess you can call me a bit strange, then! :)

Mesas I've had for long stretches in my studio:

Fillmore, Lone Star, Mark V, Maverick, Blue Angel, Tremoverb, Subway Rocket, Tri-Axis, Bass 400+, Stiletto, and I guess that's all I can remember. I've certainly tried everything they came out with in the '80s and '90s, and most of their recent stuff. I was never a Dual/Triple Recto guy, as I don't play heavy music, but session players have brought theirs in and I've tried them.

I've hung onto the Fillmore and Lone Star, and probably won't sell either one. Of the two, I prefer the Fillmore, but I do like the Lone Star.

I've had 6 Two-Rocks in the Dumble style: four versions of their Onyx series, and two of the Custom Reverb series. I played their amps exclusively from 2003-2014, and had a great relationship with Bill Krinard and Joe Mloganoski, who owned the company at the time. Great guys, and wonderful amp makers.

When I got the Two Rocks, I completely lost interest in all of the Mesas I had, and sold them, except that my son kept the Tremoverb, and the Stiletto was his from the start.

When Bill and Joe sold Two-Rock I was between amps, and figured I'd try something else. I decided to get the Mark V, DG30 and the HXDA. The HXDA and DG30 stayed, though I did like the vintage mode in Channel 1 of the Mark V, which was based on the Lone Star. My son was touring with a Lone Star, and I liked the way he sounded, so I bought one.

Over the years I've had vintage Fenders (they were new at the time I bought them!), Bad Cat, Bogner, Ampeg, the original Egnater, and a few other brands. All gone. If I'm not using an amp to make a buck, it's outta here. I can put the money into my studio in other ways.

One nice thing about the PRS amps is that my clients have universally loved the tone, and have made positive comments about the sound of the amps. They've been here for nearly 9 years, and were used on a ton of national ad campaigns. Phenomenal amps. Truly. And they've paid their way!
Regarding The Bogner Stuff...I Would Imagine You Liking The Shiva And Ecstasy.
 
Regarding The Bogner Stuff...I Would Imagine You Liking The Shiva And Ecstasy.
I tried the Shiva and Ecstasy in my studio, and they were nice amps. But I wound up with the 30 Watt version of the Metropolis in my arsenal for a few years. It was a single channel amp, and the sounds I was looking for - the ever-elusive 'edge of breakup' perfection - were much easier to get on the Metropolis. It also broke up beautifully pushed with a boost. A superb amp, and very underrated.

I also had a Bad Cat Hot Cat and a Roccaforte during that period, and both also had that single-channel goodness I craved.

Once I got the Two-Rocks, that was all I played through. They did everything, especially the Onyx, a true two channel amp. I liked it a tiny bit better than the Custom Reverb, which surprised me because I often favor a single-channel amp. When I sold my first Custom Reverb and asked them about another Onyx, they'd already discontinued it, so I bought the Artist version of the Custom Reverb.

I really loved my Two-Rocks. Every few years I'd sell what I had and buy their latest thing, which was always fun. Obviously the main mistake was selling the final iteration of the Onyx Signature, which I think was version 2. Plus they were still loading amps with NOS tubes on request. I wish I still had it, but then, I probably wouldn't have looked at the PRS amps, and they've stayed here a long time - and earned their keep! :)
 
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I haven't run the DG30 through the cab yet. I plan to in the next few days. I don't own an amp that sounds much like a Bandmaster or Black Panel Deluxe.

The Fillmore is based on a Tweed Bassman, and the Lone Star has more of a Black Panel topology. So they're not really comparable.

The only Bandmasters I'm very familiar with are the Blonde heads that had the matching 2x12 cabs with Jensens.

The Deluxes came with single 12" speakers, usually Jensens, and I know the Tweeds were Alnico; I think that's true of all the vintage Deluxe models, Black Panel, Tweed and Brown Panel. So I have no answers.
Was thinking the bandmaster combo with the three 10s? And I meant to say super reverb not deluxe. Getting old.
 
I tried the Shiva and Ecstasy in my studio, and they were nice amps. But I wound up with the 30 Watt version of the Metropolis in my arsenal for a few years. It was a single channel amp, and the sounds I was looking for - the ever-elusive 'edge of breakup' perfection - were much easier to get on the Metropolis. It also broke up beautifully pushed with a boost. A superb amp, and very underrated.

I also had a Bad Cat Hot Cat and a Roccaforte during that period, and both also had that single-channel goodness I craved.

Once I got the Two-Rocks, that was all I played through. They did everything, especially the Onyx, a true two channel amp. I liked it a tiny bit better than the Custom Reverb, which surprised me because I often favor a single-channel amp. When I sold my first Custom Reverb and asked them about another Onyx, they'd already discontinued it, so I bought the Artist version of the Custom Reverb.

I really loved my Two-Rocks. Every few years I'd sell what I had and buy their latest thing, which was always fun. Obviously the main mistake was selling the final iteration of the Onyx Signature, which I think was version 2. Plus they were still loading amps with NOS tubes on request. I wish I still had it, but then, I probably wouldn't have looked at the PRS amps, and they've stayed here a long time - and earned their keep! :)
Agree With You Completely On The Metropolis Being A Great Amp And Also Very Underrated. I Am A Big Fan Of Roccaforte Amps As Well.
 
Agree With You Completely On The Metropolis Being A Great Amp And Also Very Underrated. I Am A Big Fan Of Roccaforte Amps As Well.
Our amp tastes often coincide!

Is Doug Roccaforte still making amps? I haven't seen any in quite a while.
 
Our amp tastes often coincide!

Is Doug Roccaforte still making amps? I haven't seen any in quite a while.
True! They Do Don't They?

Unfortunately Doug Isn't Building Amps Anymore And Hasn't Been For Some Time. If One Pops Up Used That Interests You, Grab It. They Are Becoming More And More Difficult To Find.
 
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